CSMT: dealing with online applications withdrawn in error
Published 16 October 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/csmt-dealing-with-online-applications-withdrawn-in-error-caseworker-guidance/csmt-dealing-with-online-applications-withdrawn-in-error
Version 8.0
This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office Customer Services Management teams how to deal with specific online applications identified as having been withdrawn in error.
About: CSMT: dealing with online applications withdrawn in error
This guidance tells His Majesty’s Passport Office Customer Service Management teams (CSMT) how to deal with specific online applications withdrawn in error because the customer’s documents were not linked to it.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the guidance and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the guidance has factual errors then email the Guidance team.
If you notice any formatting errors in this guidance (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the guidance then you can email the Guidance team.
Publication
Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:
- version 8.0
- published for Home Office staff on 20 April 2026
Changes from last version of this guidance
This guidance was previously in the Passport applications affected by COVID-19 guidance and has been updated:
- to reflect the change in our sovereign from His Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to His Majesty King Charles III
- to change referee terminology
- from ‘overseas’ to ‘international’ where referring to applications and customers
- to change the team responsible for dealing with online applications withdrawn in error throughout the guidance
- with minor formatting changes
CSMT: handling withdrawn online applications
This section tells HM Passport Office Customer Services Management team (CSMT) and examiners how to deal with customers who we’ve identified as having their previous online application incorrectly withdrawn.
The Digital Application Processing (DAP) system will automatically withdraw an online application if a customer does not send us the documents we need (see: Withdrawing passport applications).
We have identified some cases when the system has incorrectly withdrawn a customer’s online application because we did not link their documents to their application. Customer Service Management teams (CSMTs) have a list of cases and will write to affected customers to explain, they:
- can make another application free of charge (see Gratis passport applications: how to apply for and deal with them)
- must send us receipts if they incur out of pocket expenses to make their application (for example, if they pay for postage or photos)
When we get the new application, we will:
- process it (in line with current guidance)
- refund any out of pocket expenses the customer has incurred
Contacting the customer to request a new application
When dealing with a case we have withdrawn in error, you, the Customer Services Management team (CSMT) staff member must:
- Check the documents we received for the customers withdrawn application, to see if they suggest we will need a referee on the new application. For example, do the documents suggest the withdrawn application was:
- for a first passport
- to renew a passport for a child under the age of 12
- to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged passport
- to renew a British national (overseas) passport issued before 2004
- to renew a British citizen passport in the UK before 2002
- to renew a British citizen passport issued overseas before 1998
- to renew an Old Blue (hardback style) passport
-
Check if we have previously contacted the customer about their withdrawn application (using the spreadsheet that shows affected cases).
-
Phone the customer to tell them we will send them a link to complete a gratis application.
- Follow the Gratis passport applications: how to apply for and deal with them guidance.
Customer incurred out of pocket expenses
If a customer incurred out of pocket expenses, CSMT will arrange for the customer to get a refund of their out of pocket expenses.
When arranging refunds, you, the CSMT staff member, must:
- Deal with refunds and out of pocket expenses in line with current guidance and following local arrangements (if they apply), making sure, you:
- have customer’s payee details, if they want us to refund their expenses by cheque (we can only send refunds by cheque for UK customers)
- have the customer card details, if they want us to refund their expenses by card payment (we can refund by card payment for UK and international customers)
- convert foreign currency into UK sterling using the exchange rate on the day you ask the Transactional Finance Team (for Durham applications) or Operational Support Services team (for Liverpool applications) to issue the refund (for international applications)
- Include the fee the customer paid for their application as part of the out of pocket expenses (if the customer has paid a fee). This means customers will receive a refund of their out of pocket expenses and the application fee together.